Brex: The Beginning
by shoppingal87
Summary: This is the story of the beginning of Bree and Rex's relationship. Not a great summary, but hopefully the story is better than the summary!


_Author's Note: Someone on LiveJournal suggested that someone should write a fic about when rex and Bree first met, and about how Bree became the way she is. I'm not sure if I did a good job, but I tried! The timeline isn't very clear; it starts when they're in college and then goes up to them having their second child and moving to Wisteria Lane. Some parts I like, while other parts seem rushed, and then there are chunks of time that I basically skimmed over. There are no spoilers for the new season; this last line is set during the episode where Bree and Rex nearly got divorced, but I can't think of the name of it right now. I don't own any of the characters, except for Brooke and Joel I guess, but they don't have a big part. I hope youlike this! Read and review please! Compliments are always welcome, as is constructive criticism, because if you don't like it, I'd liketo know how to improve my writing. Enjoy:)_

"I just can't concentrate on this reading anymore!" Bree Mason said, slumping back in her chair and looking around the library.

"You know what we need, don't you?" he roommate Brooke asked.

"Don't say we need dates! I don't see how that'll help me get ready for midterms."

"Come on Bree! It'll help us relax. Let's go out on Friday night and meet some guys!"

"Brooke, I don't wanna meet another random guy who turns out to be a total loser."

"Well then we should set each other up!"

"What?" Bree questioned.

"It'll be great! We know each other well enough to be able to pick someone who'll be a good match."

"Fine." Bree sighed.

Two days later Friday night had arrived and Bree wasn't so sure about Brooke's idea. She had asked a friend of a friend to be Brooke's date for the night, but Brooke hadn't told her anything about the guy she was going to be spending the night with. Bree would go out to bars or parties when she was encouraged by Brooke, who had a slightly wilder streak, but usually she'd spend her nights with friends, watching movies, or just reading and relaxing in her dorm. This was their senior year of college and Bree was determined to enjoy herself more this year, even if it meant doing things outside of her comfort level. She glanced at herself once more in the mirror before heading down to the student lounge, where she and Brooke had agreed to meet their dates before going out to dinner.

A few minutes later the guy who Bree asked to come had arrived.

"Brooke, this is Joel. He's on the baseball team and a friend of Carrie's."

Brooke and Joel began to talk while Bree sat and waited patiently for another ten minutes.

"I don't think he's coming. Why don't you two go out to dinner and I'll just go back upstairs."

"No, give it five more minutes and then I'll call him if he's still not here."

A few minutes later a guy walked up to them.

"Hey. Is one of you Bree?"

"I am." Bree said curiously.

"I'm Rex, Jordan's roommate. He said Brooke set him up with you, but he can't make it tonight."

"Great. This is going well; my date doesn't even show up." Bree muttered.

"Well he sent me in his place if you don't mind." Rex offered.

Brooke shot Bree a look and mouthed, "Say yes!"

"Sure." Bree replied, sounding less than enthused.

At the dinner table, Bree tried to make polite conversation with her date.

"So Rex, what's your major?"

"I'm pre-med; I want to be a doctor."

"Wow, that's great. You'll get to help lots of people. The schoolwork must be hard though."

"Eh, it's not too bad."

"Oh that's good."

'_This night is going to be painful.' _Bree thought to herself.

By the time they were finished eating, Bree was relaxed and enjoying the conversation with Rex. She even found herself hoping he'd ask to see her again. As the four students were saying goodnight, Rex asked Bree if he could call her. She said yes. As she went to bed that night Bree could only think of her evening with Rex. _'Why can't I get him out of my head? He's just like any other guy and not really even my type.' _

For the next three days Bree mainly concentrated on her midterm exams and pushed the thoughts of Rex to the back of her mind. As she returned to her dorm after her calculus midterm she noticed the red light blinking on their answering machine so she pressed play and tossed her bag down.

"Hey Bree, it's Rex, from the other night. I was wondering if you want to go out again sometime, maybe tomorrow night. Call me when you get this. Bye."

She smiled to herself and picked up the phone to dial Rex right away. They agreed to go to dinner and a movie the next night. It would be a Thursday night, but she didn't have a class or exam on Friday and neither did he so it was okay.

Their second date went well. Rex walked Bree back to her dorm room but stopped right outside her building.

"Bree, I had a great time tonight."

"I did too." she replied, smiling genuinely.

They both leaned in slowly and had their first kiss. They stayed out there kissing and cuddling for about two minutes before it started to pour. With the rain falling on them, they kissed one last time, and then went their separate ways. Bree stood out in the rain, looked up, and smiled. After only two dates she knew he was "The One."

They went on several more dates in the next few weeks and then were apart for nearly a month over the Christmas holidays, but even then they called each other every night. Rex and Bree reunited when they both returned to campus for their final semester.

At graduation Rex gave Bree a promise ring. He was leaving the next week for a summer semester of medical school. He promised to marry her when he was finished with school and she promised to support him while he was at school and visit him every time she had off of work. Bree visited him every chance she got, mostly on weekends.

The summer before Rex's final year of medical school was one of the best summers of their lives. They spent two peaceful weeks on the beaches of Hawaii. During the day they'd spend their time snorkeling or taking surfing lessons. They even tried parasailing. During the evenings they'd sometimes go out on a party boat and dance until midnight had passed. Other nights they would go to luaus or just take a walk along the beach at sunset before going to the bar for pina coladas or mai-tais. One particularly special day, Rex woke Bree up at 3am and drove her up to the top of the now inactive volcano to watch the sunrise. As they sat together huddled under one blanket staring in silence at the beautiful pink sky, he began to speak.

"Bree, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. And your beauty isn't only on the outside; you're also funny and sweet, compassionate, and spontaneous. My heart flutters every time I touch you and I think how lucky I am to have found the love of my life. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together." He pulled out a tiny box and got on one knee, "Bree Mason, will you marry me?"

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and she smiled, "Yes, Rex Van de Kamp, I would love nothing more than to be your wife."

As Rex was working on finishing the final year of his medical degree, Bree was working on planning their wedding, in addition to her job at a medical office. One afternoon at work, Bree had finished most of her tasks for the day so she was making a few phone calls to find out about the prices of nearby catering halls for their reception to be held in.

When their July wedding date had finally arrived, they both were filled with excitement and love. Both were anxious, but ready for this marriage. They had big dreams of the house they would buy, the children they would have, and the happy life they would lead. As Bree's aunt had said to her that day, "The best is yet to come."

The first few months of their marriage were just as they imagined. During the week Rex would work at the hospital and Bree would continue her job at the office. During the weekends though, they were completely different people. They would leave their small apartment behind and spend weekends skiing in the mountains or relaxing on a nearby beach, or even gambling at a casino in the city.

A few years after their picture perfect marriage, they found out that life didn't always go according to plan. Sure, Bree had gotten pregnant with their first child just as they had wished for, but things in their marriage weren't going as well as they had in the past. They couldn't take spontaneous weekend vacations anymore, and instead of drinking milk out of the carton; Bree now drank the daily-recommended amount of milk with certain vitamins from their fancy glasses. She began baby-proofing the house just a month before their son was born. Once Andrew was brought into the world, she was very careful about the noise level in the house and what was left lying around.

The first few months after Andrew was born were tough on both Bree and Rex. She quit her job to stay home and raise children, and sometimes she missed being in the working environment. He hated being away from his wife and son so often, and she wasn't used to having to care for anyone other than herself. As a compromise, Rex's mother Phyllis would spend three out of the five weekdays with Bree, helping her with the baby and the house. Unfortunately for Bree, her mother died when she was somewhat young so she didn't have anyone to give her advice when she was pregnant. She mostly trusted her instincts and what she had seen others do. Phyllis, however, did not always approve of the way Bree took care of things.

"Bree, the house is a mess!"

"Yes, well it's Wednesday and I haven't had a chance to clean since Friday. It's not a wreck, just a bit dusty. And I supposed I should have put away more of Andrew's toys last night, but I was just so tired."

"I know you're tired, but you can't neglect the housework. The house should be clean when Rex comes home every night and dinner should be on the table. Take-out just won't do honey; he's used to a home-cooked meal every evening from when he was living at home, so he'll expect that."

"I'm doing my best Phyllis."

"I'm sure you are, but perhaps you should try a bit harder."

Bree didn't want her mother-in-law to hate her, nor did she want Rex to be disappointed with her for not being able to be both a good wife and mother. She learned all she could from books and watching TV shows, both old and modern. She assumed that she was expected to behave more like Donna Reed.

After Andrew was a few months old, he and Bree settled into a routine, and Phyllis' help was no longer needed. Bree began to relax more and return to her usual self, with just a hint more of caution and responsibility now that she had a child. The three of them lived mostly happily for a little over a year. It was then that Bree found out she was pregnant with her second child. This time they decided not to find out the sex ahead of time and let it be a surprise instead.

When Danielle was born, Rex and Bree were thrilled. They'd dreamed of having a son and daughter, and now they felt their family was complete. When Bree and Danielle came home from the hospital. Phyllis was already there to stay with Andrew while his father was at work. Bree allowed her to come three times a week as she had when Andrew was first born. Bree thought she could handle raising a baby on her own now that she'd already done it once, but she didn't want to upset her mother-in-law, and she figured an extra adult around the house couldn't hurt because now she didn't just have the baby to care for, but she also needed to keep Andrew happy and busy, as well as continue with the housework. Aside from this, she rarely had any time for a social life, even though they moved to a new house, big enough for their four-person family, on a quiet suburban street with many other families, and women around her age.

Bree felt overwhelmed trying to balance everything and keep her children, her husband, and her mother-in-law satisfied, as well as keep herself happy. She didn't want anyone to see that she was struggling so she would cry in her room during the childrens' naptime on days when Phyllis wasn't there. Rex, like everyone else, believed that his wife was happy, but he did feel like they never had time together anymore, without the kids. So one night he asked his mother to come baby-sit while he and Bree went to a dinner party at the Young's house. The Youngs were their neighbors, and they had invited the other neighborhood couples as well so they would get to meet everyone. Bree instantly liked all their neighbors, as did Rex. They planned to have dinner parties once a month and each time it would rotate and someone else would host it.

Bree enjoyed their evenings out and would relax slightly when they were with the other people. At home though, it was a different story. She had become a different person than when Rex first met her. Instead of being impulsive, she was compulsive, and rather than being carefree, she was uptight and tense. Rex noticed that she was often smiling, but she never seemed truly happy. Whenever he asked, she would say she was fine. He enjoyed having sex, while she seemed to act as if it were a chore. And it wasn't one of the chores she did very often, like the vacuuming and dusting, which were done almost daily. She also tended to the garden and made sure the lawn was perfect. She planned structured activities for the children and would host playdates as they got older. She was overprotective and made sure they didn't do anything remotely dangerous. In addition, she only let people eat in the kitchen and she made gourmet meals that she had learned from Martha Stewart's cookbook. Rex wondered what had happened to the woman who would eat Chinese food out of the carton in the living room while watching television.

As Bree and Rex sat at their kitchen table with their divorce lawyers, dividing up their assets, the wedding picture on the mantelpiece was the only memory of those carefree happy days that Bree and Rex had shared.


End file.
